Cutting device for looms



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CUTTING DEVICE FOR LOOMS Filed Oct. 6, 1967 Sheet of 2 A 1 I 2/20 zg/{fl 7/77??? l7 I6 I92! 20 2222'? 1. 9/6

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United States Patent 3,451,440 CUTTING DEVICE FOR LOOMS Ramon Balaguer Golobart, 86 Calle Caspe, Barcelona, Spain Filed Oct. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 673,461 Claims priority, appicatior; Spain, Oct. 6, 1966,

Int. Cl. Dim 49/70 U.S. C]. 139-303 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to improvements in devices for cutting weft threads on one or both sides of the fabric in fixed weft reserve looms, and more particularly to devices comprising flat knives for cutting the excess. from the weft threads, especially in looms producing two parallel fabrics simultaneously.

Several different systems are known for cutting the excess from the weft threads at the edge of the fabric. Some such systems are based on oscillating knives mounted on the lay or at a fixed point on the loom adjacent the edge of the fabric; others comprise scissors also mounted on the lay or at a fixed point on the loom, and still others use circular knives or disks with or without teeth.

All said known systems give good results as long as they are used for cutting the excess from the weft threads in looms in which relatively thin and fine yarns are used. However, the known cutting devices do not operate satisfactorily for strong weft threads.

It is therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a cutting device which makes it possible to cut the Weft threads on one or both sides of a fabric, no matter how thick or tough these threads are, and even when a plurality of weft threads has to be cut at the same time, especially in looms which produce two parallel fabrics simultaneously.

On ordinary shears or knives, the angles of the cutting edge are not permanent, and as soon as any wear occurs nothing can be done except to resharpen them, resulting in a loss of time in removal and reinstallation, and consequently in a loss of production, whereas with the improvements afforded by the present invention no resharpening at all is necessary, since the cutting action itself resharpens the blades due to the combination of the elements which constitute the mechanism.

The device of the invention comprises two members, one mounted on a fixed shaft in the loom and the other mounted on the lay. The member mounted on the fixed shaft in the loom is constituted by a support on which there are mounted two stationary cutting blades having a prolongation forming an angle with their cutting edge. The member disposed on the lay carries two elongated blades, each of which is composed of a base at the lower extremity and a widened portion at the upper extremity bearing the cutting edge. Approximately at the center of these latter blades slots are created for the accommodation of guides designed to determine their cutting position, the configuration of the bases of said blades being substantially rectangular and comprising a bottom notch for resting on a small pin on which it oscillates, as well as a lateral notch that serves to accommodate an antagonistic coil spring that is adjustable by means of a screw and adapted so as to oblige the blades to maintain constant contact with one another. The said spring and screw are mounted in basis which likewise are traversed in their bottom portion by a mounting bolt threaded to the support aflixed to the lay in order to graduate the position of the cutting blades mounted on the angular support afiixed to the lay.

During the operation of the lay, the blades approach one another and separate, thereby cutting the weft threads, and as a result of the constant repetition of these cuts, wear may take place on the cutting edges; these effects would be very harmful in ordinary cutting devices of the prior art, resulting in loss of time and the shutting down of the loom for the purpose of removing and replacing or resharpening the worn cutters. With the improvements of this invention, this problem is entirely eliminated, because, although its arrangement is such that wear is practically nil or insignificant, when the occasion does arise a slight turn of the holding screws will change the former cutting contact and produce a new blade contact position equivalent to a reconditioning of the same, without the need to dismount them. The adjusting operation only needs to be performed at rare intervals, the life of the knives being practically indefinite.

Another advantage offered by the improvements of the invention is based on the fact that the position of the cutting knives can be varied to suit the type of weft thread which it is desired to cut. This variation can be performed with great ease merely by giving a slight turn to the screws holding the cutting knives mounted on the lay, so as to provide for the best cutting position in relation to the thickness of the weft thread.

Another great advantage is that no secondary mechanical driving system is required, because the mere recipro cating movement of the lay produces the opening and closing of the cutting edges of the knives thereby producing the cutting of the weft thread or threads, inasmuch as their angular configuration brings it about that the longer side acts as a guide and positioner so that, as the moving knife is guided toward the stationary knife, it encounters no obstruction and slides smoothly over it until it meets the weft thread and produces the cut on both fabrics.

For greater efliciency the cutting edges can of course be constituted by pieces of very hard material brazed or Welded to the blades. Once the cut has been performed, the clippings can be eliminated by any known system, the best being generally a vacuum aspirating tube mounted on the outside close to the cutting point so as to carry the weft thread clippings to a storage bin or waste box.

For the better understanding of the invention a descrip tion is given of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached drawings. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a lateral perspective view of the device mounted on the lay and on a fixed shaft set in the frame alongside the edge of the fabric in a fixed Weft reserve loom which produces two parallel fabrics simultaneously, this loom being illustrated only partially;

FIGURE 2 is a lateral perspective view corresponding to the back part of FIGURE 1, showing how the elements of the device mounted on the lay are held in place;

FIGURE 3 is a cross section on line A--A of FIGURE 4, with sectioned portions of the elements of the device mounted on the lay, showing the locating and adjusting mechanism;

FIGURE 4 represents a diagrammatic side elevation of the device mounted on the fixed shaft in the loom and on the lay in the withdrawn position before cutting the weft threads in both fabrics;

FIGURE 5 represents a diagrammatic side elevation of the device mounted on the fixed shaft in the loom and on the lay in the advanced position, with the lay beating up the weft thread and with the knives mounted on the lay cutting the weft threads on both fabrics.

Referring to the figures, 1 is the fixed shaft of the loom that serves to hold support 2 which is afiixed by means of boss 3 and set screw 4. This support 2 has at its upper end 5 a practically horizontal groove 6 which serves for the mounting of an intermediate support 7. Said support 7 has a projecting guide 8 which fits into said groove 6 of the support 2 to serve for the horizontal adjustment of the entire portion of the device corresponding to stationary knives 9 and 9'; the intermediate support 7 is affixed to the support 2 by means of bolt 10 in slot 11.

Said intermediaate support 7 has a substantially vertical groove 12 in which there is fitted a third support 13 held in place by a bolt 14 passing through a slot 15, so as to serve for the vertical adjustment of the entire part of the device that is mounted on the fixed shaft 1.

The stationary knife 9 is afiixed to the upper portion of the support 13 by means of the bolts 17 in slots 18, and the other stationary knife 9 is affixed thereto by means of the bolts 17 in slots 18'. Guides 19 and 19 extend from stationary knives 9 and 9', respectively, forming an angle with the cutting edge; these guides serve to guide the cutting edges 20 and 20 of moving knives 21 and 21 to cutting edges 22 and 22 of the stationary knives 9 and 9 for the perfect clipping of the weft threads 23 and 23' in looms producing two parallel fabrics simultaneously. The moving knives 21 and 21 are adjustable by screws 42 and 42' abutting against support 28, said screws being threaded through shanks 40 and 40' and locking means 43.

The same support 13, as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises guides 24 and 24' to facilitate the positioning of the upper fabric 25 and guides 26 and 26' to facilitate the positioning of the lower fabric 25'.

The lay 27 has an angular support 28- atfixed to it by means of bolts 30 passing through a slot 29, this support serving to carry at its bottom end 31 two blocks 32 and 32' each affixed to the bottom end 31 of support 28 by bolts 33 and 33. Each block 32 and 32' has vertical slots containing knife butts 34 and 34' supported on the blocks 32 and 32' by pins 35 and 35 passing entirely through each block. Butt 34 has a slot 36, which can be seen in FIG. 3, for accommodating an antagonistic coil spring 37 urged by screw 38 mounted in wall 39 of block 32, FIG. 3. Butt 34 is made in like manner. These butts 34 and 34' are affixed to the extremities of shanks 4t and 40' of moving knives 21 and 21', through which guides 41 and 41 pass which extend from angular support 28 in 'order to prevent any displacement of moving knives 21 and 21' with the movement of lay 27. Positioning screws 42 and 42' also pass through the said shanks 40 and 40', abutting against the angular support 28; they also pass through plastic piece 43 which acts as a locking means and which is afiixed to shanks 40 and 40' by screws 44 and 44'.

The operation of the device is as follows:

When the weft threads 23 and 23' have passed through the sheds 45 and 45 and through the opening formed between the stationary knives 9 and 9 and the moving knives 21 and 21, the entire assembly that is mounted on 4 lay 27 is in the retracted position, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

When the lay 27 advances, its comb 46 pushes the weft threads 23 and 23' towards the fell of the cloth 47 and 47 (FIG. 4), advancing simultaneously therewith the moving knives 21 and 21' with all their mechanical elements, and when these moving knives 21 and 21 reach the lifts 48 and 48 (FIG. 1) on the guides 19 and 19' of the stationary knives 9 and 9, they align properly with the stationary knives 9 and 9 due to the springs 37 and 37 (only 37 is visible in FIG. 3). Said springs are contained in each block 32 and 32 and compressed by adjusting screws 38 and 38 so as to urge butts 34 and 34', and moving knives 21 and 21 with them, against the stationary knives 9 and 9'. The advancing movement of the knives thus cuts the weft threads 23 and 23' on both fabrics 25 and 25'.

Although the wear on the stationary knives 9 and 9 and on moving knives 21 and 21 is practically nil or insignificant, if such wear does occur, a slight turn of the holding screws 33 and 33' will change the former cutting contact and bring about a new contact position between moving knives 21 and 21 and stationary knives 9 and 9' equivalent to a reconditioning of same, this being done without need to remove them from the loom.

It is easily understood that the device can also be used for cutting the weft thread remnants in a loom that produces only one fabric, it being sufficient to that end to eliminate one of the knives mounted on the part that is fastened to the fixed shaft in the loom and its counterpart mounted on the part that is fastened to the lay.

I claim:

1. In a weft cutting device for a loom having a fixed weft supply, the combination including a fixed knife means and a movable knife means coacting with said fixed knife means for cutting a weft, first support means for mounting the fixed knife means on a stationary member of a loom, second support means for mounting the movable knife means on the lay of said loom for reciprocatory movement of the movable knife means toward and away from the stationary knife means, each of said knife means including an element having a vertically disposed cutting edge, one of said knife means including a horizontally extending guide means for coacting engagement with the other of said elements to assist said coacting engagement thereof, the other of said knife means including resilient adjustment means for changing the position thereof transversely with respect to the cutting edge of said one knife means.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said weft cutting device is for use with a loom for weaving two parallel fabrics, wherein said fixed knife means includes a cutting edge for each of said fabrics, said movable knife means include two cutting edges respectively coacting with a respective cutting edge of the fixed knife means, and wherein one of said knife means includes resilient adjustment means for each of the cutting edges.

3. The invention defined in either claim 1 or 2, wherein said resilient adjustment means includes a vertically extending supporting arm means, said arm means including a pin means for tiltably holding said element having a cutting edge, and also including means for shifting the position of the pin means relative to the supporting arm means.

4. The invention defined in claim 3, wherein said resilient adjustment means includes a threaded member for limiting tilting movement in one direction of said element having a cutting edge, and spring means for urging said element in said one direction.

5. The invention defined in claim 4, wherein said resilient adjustment means includes an element fabricated of plastic material having a threaded bore for frictional supporting engagement with said threaded member for locking the position thereof.

(References on following page) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Northrop 139303 Ryon 139-263 Jourd'ain 139263 Turner 139-265 6 2,067,761 1/1937 Hewton 139-263 3,198,216 8/1965 Ancet et a1. 139-302 3,225,794 12/1965 Juillard 139303X JAMES KEE CHI, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

